MARINE ELECTRICAL

231 marine electrical products covering switch panels, boat lights, batteries and chargers, cable connectors and electronics.
MARINE ELECTRICAL
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MARINE ELECTRICAL

MARINE ELECTRICAL

Salt air and vibration are hard on wiring, which is why marine electrical parts are built differently to automotive ones. Off Grid Superstore stocks 231 marine electrical products in Australia, from switch panels through to navigation electronics.

What's in the range

Boat Lights is the largest section at 83 products, covering interior, deck, underwater and courtesy lighting. Switch panels sit in Switches & Switch Panels, in 4, 6 and 8-button layouts and in both black and stainless: the Switch Panel Black On/Off LED 6-Btn and the waterproof Stainless Waterproof 6-Btn panel are the two most requested.

Marine Electronics holds 50 products, Electrical Hardware 31, and Marine Cable Connectors 17 for joins that have to survive spray. Power storage and charging sit in Batteries, Chargers & Inverters and Battery Accessories, and Bilge Blowers covers engine bay ventilation on petrol boats.

Wiring a boat properly

Three things separate a marine install from an automotive one: tinned copper cable, crimped and heat-shrunk joins rather than soldered ones, and fusing at the source rather than at the device. Tinned cable resists the corrosion that creeps along strands under insulation, and a fuse close to the battery is what stops a chafed cable becoming a fire.

Size cable for voltage drop over the full run, not just for current, because a 12V circuit loses usable voltage fast over distance. For the instruments these circuits feed, see Boat Systems, and Safety & Navigation covers compliant navigation lighting.

Why does marine wiring use tinned copper cable?

The tin coating stops salt-laden moisture corroding the copper strands under the insulation, which is how ordinary automotive cable fails on a boat. Corrosion travels along the strands out of sight, raising resistance until the circuit drops out.

Where should a marine fuse be fitted?

As close to the battery as practical, usually within 200mm of the positive terminal. The fuse protects the cable rather than the appliance, so fitting it at the device leaves the whole run unprotected against a chafe or short.

Do boat navigation lights have to meet a standard?

Yes. Navigation lights must meet the visibility ranges and arcs set out in the international collision regulations, and the required range depends on vessel length. Buy lights certified to those ranges rather than general-purpose LEDs.

What size switch panel do I need?

Count the circuits you are switching and add at least one spare. Panels come in 4, 6 and 8-button layouts, and stainless waterproof versions suit exposed helms where a black plastic panel would sit under spray.